Autographic register



Dec. 14, 1943- A. w.-METz'NER AUTOGRAPHIQ REGISTER Filed Dec. 6, 1941 Patented Dec. 14, 1943 @FFICE AUEGRAPHIC REGISTER Albert W. Metzner, Dayton, Ohio, assigner to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio 9 Claims.

The present invention pertains to autographic registers and more particularly to a movable arm rest to obviate smudging of the forms and means for preventing unnecessary and undue adhesion of the carbon and record strips.

For some commercial and industrial purposes it is necessary to employ record forms of relatively large size. Forms of such large size necessitate a correspondingly large access opening in the register top through which the full extent of the form will be exposed for inscription. Such forms usually comprise superposed continuous strips of series connected detachable printed forms, which are systematically advanced over the writing tablet of an autographic register where they receive hand-written indicia which is reproduced on underlying record strips by interleaved carbon or transfer material. Being of considerable length, they cannot be readily incribed Without resting the operators hand or arm upon the topmost or original copy of the record form assembly when writing thereon. The moisture of the operators hand or the dirt and grime which may be on the hand of a mechanic, soils and smudges the original copy rendering it unsightly. The warmth of the hand and pressure on the superposed record copies may cause the record material and interleaved carbon material to adhere one to the other or cause carbon smudges on underlying record copies. The adhesion of the record and carbon materials impedes the feeding of the strips and prevents proper alignment and registry while additional strain required to break such adhesions is imposed on the strip feeding device.

The provision of the present arm rest which is freely movable to and fro over the record form to be inscribed, enables any part thereof to be easily reached without touching the record sheet or strip. In order that underlying portions of the record form may not be obscured by the arm rest, an observation area is provided therein through which the portion of the record beneath the arm rest may be readily observed.

To overcome the objectionable features of the machines heretofore employed, there is contemplated the use of a sliding hand or arm rest which overlies the manifolding assembly thereby preventing the application of pressure to the manifolding assembly and prevents the unnecessary and unsightly smudges of dirt upon the original COPY.

Thus the object of the invention is to improve the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of autographic registers whereby A further object of the invention is to prevent the smearing of the original copy of the assembly by the cperators unclean hands, which under certain conditions cannot be avoided when using the conventional type of register.

A further object `of the invention is to prevent excessive and unnecessary adhesion of the carbon and record strips of the assembly.

A further and important object of the invention is to reduce the strain upon the feeding means and to improve the alignment of the forms by preventing unnecessary pressure thereon incident to the inscription of the desired data.

A further `object of the invention is to provide an autographic register having the advantageous structural features and inherent meritorious characteristics herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein is shown the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an autographic register embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the register, illustrating the movable arm rest.

3 is a transverse sectional view of the cover assembly taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, I is a conventional autographic register having the usual lid or cover The manifolding assembly is advanced over the writing table 3 beneath the cover 2 and in registry with the opening il by strip feeding mechanism actuated by the hand crank 5.

The opening d is of unusual length so that extra long forms may be accommodated with their entire Writing surface exposed at one time. With such a large opening, it is readily understood that it is impossible to Write at the upper or leading edge of the form without the operator resting his hand upon the exposed manifolding assembly. Such pressure upon the assembly, not only causes the original or top record sheet to become dirty and untidy in appearance, but produces carbon smudges on the underlying record strips. In addition to the smudging of the forms, this pressure upon the assembly causes the carbon and record strips to adhere one to another placing additional strain upon the feeding and aligning means and impairs and retards the speedy and proper alignment of the forms as they are advanced over the writing table 3.

To overcome these diiculties, there is provided a hand or arm rest 6 slidingly mounted upon the cover 2. This arm rest 6 overlies the opening 4 in the cover and receives the pressure which otherwise would be taken by the manifolding assembly and table 3.

The arm rest E is supported for free reciprocatory motion by the rollers I mounted interiorly of the downwardly extending lateral margins il of the rest 6. Fixedly secured to the lateral edges of the cover 2 are channel-shaped members 9 which serve as guides or runways for the rollers 'l and maintain the arm rest 6 in sliding engagement with the register.

The arm rest 8 is limited in its forward movement by engagement with the hold down bar l. A downwardly extending flange Il on the rear transverse margin of the rest 6 engages the rear margin l2 of the opening 4 to limit the movement of the rest in the opposite direction.

As shown in the drawing, the rest 6 comprises a metallic frame I3 having a transparent or translucent portion I4 through which the printed matter on the underlying form may be read prior to movement of the arm rest to a new position in accordance with the location on the form at which the next entry is to be recorded.

The assembly of the arm rest 6 to the cover 2 provides a neat and compact unitary structure which is pivotally movable as a unit about the studs l which are the conventional means for mounting the cover 2 for upward swinging motion to enable the insertion of a new supply of forms. The present construction does not in any way encumber the register or necessitate additional manipulative motions to enable the proper operation thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. An autographic register wherein continuous strips of superposed record material are intermittently advanced past an inscription receiving position, the cabinet thereof being provided with an opening in its top beneath which an area of record material is supported independently of the open top of the cabinet to receive a written inscription thereon, characterized by a freely movable member mounted exteriorly of the cabinet in bridging relation with the cabinet opening for to and fro motion within the limits of the cabinet opening in a path parallel with the plane of the exposed area of record material.

2. An autographic register wherein continuous strips of superposed record and transfer material are advanced through a step by step movement past an inscription receiving position, the cabinet thereof being provided with an opening through which an area of record material is exposed to receive a written inscription thereon, characterized by an adjustable arm rest overlying the cabnet opening, and a transparent panel in said arm rest through which an underlying portion of the record material within the cabinet opening may be observed, and ways upon the cabinet upon which the arm rest is mounted for to and fro reciprocatory motion in bridging relation with the opening in the cabinet.

3. The combination with an autographic register having a writing tablet over which a continuous strip of record material is advanced through a step by step movement, of a freely movable member overlying the writing tablet and mounted for reciprocatory motion relative thereto, at least a portion of such member being transparent whereby an underlying portion of the record strip may be observed therethrough.

4. An autographic register of the type wherein alternating portions of record and transfer material are supported beneath an access opening in the top of a register cabinet independently of the open top thereof characterized by a reciprocatory bridge member disposed exteriorly of the cabinet in transverse relation with the opening in the top thereof and slidingly engaged with the cabinet for to and fro motion within the limits of the access opening.

5. An autographic register of the type wherein continuous strips of superposed record and transfer material are advanced through a step by step movement over a writing table and are exposed through an opening in the cover portion of the register for the recording of hand-written indicia thereon, characterized by a bridge member overlying the cover and supported thereon for reciprocatory motion in a plane parellel to that of the exposed record strips, including a transparent portion located within the cover opening, the construction and arrangement being such that the portion of the record strips over which the bridge member is positioned is visible therethrough while preventing bodily contact of the operator with the superposed strips of record material.

6. In an autographic register of the type wherein hand-written indicia is recorded upon an exposed portion of a manifolding assembly of alternating superposed portions of record and transfer materials, a cover therefor having therein an access opening through which the manifolding assembly is exposed, a support for the manifolding assembly independent of the open cover of the register and a bridging member overlying the manifolding assembly and slidingly engaged with the register cover for to and fro motion within the limits of the cover opening.

7. In an autographic register having a movable cover member having therein an opening through which is exposed a portion of a manifolding assembly of superposed alternating plies of record and transfer` material, a writing tablet upon which the manifolding assembly is supported independently of the open cover member guides on said cover, and an arm rest having sliding engagement with said guides for reciprocatory motion within the limits of the cover opening in a plane parallel to and overlying that of the exposed assembly of superposed record and transfer material, the construction and arrangement being such that the cover and reciprocatory arm rest are movable as a unit into and out of operative relation with the manifolding assembly.

8. A cover for an autographic register including a plate having an opening therein through which is exposed a portion of a manifolding assembly comprising continuous strips of superposed record and transfer material, a bridge member overlying the opening, rollers carried by the bridge member, and guides xedly attached to the plate in which the rollers are engaged for rolling motion relative thereto, the construction and arrangement being such that the bridge member is longitudinally adjustable relative to the plate into different positions in overlying relation to the opening therein.

9. An autograpln'c register, including a cabinet having an opening in its top aording access to an area of record material disposed beneath the opening, a Writing tablet upon which the record material is supported independently of the open top of the cabinet, a traveling hand rest, the range of movement of Which is conned to the extent of the cabinet, mounted in overlying relation with the opening therein for to and fro motion.

ALBERT W. METZNER. 

